WAYWARD PINES Got a Little Freudian With Last Night’s “Walcott Prep”

By William Mitchell

Wayward Pines’ penultimate episode starts in soft flash back mode — bunny rabbits, dew-soaked grass, flowers and the image of an impressive name plaque for Wallcot Preparatory School for Girls, in gold scroll. Pilcher is on the hunt for a son and heir, from the best of stock, to his yet to be populated kingdom.

Pilcher’s choice of a fallen teenager named Abigail, from a wealthy cultured family and unseen, an all American boy as father, gave Pilcher all the evidence he needs to make his selection. Pilcher meets Abigail reading Animal Farm in the conservatory, and their conversation,steeped in Orwellian quotes, carries a certain prophetic feel.

Meanwhile, Dr Yedlin, in western gunslinger guise, makes his way down Main St, gun in hand, looking to Xander for allied support, only for Jason to summon him to the ark to share his plan of salvation for the town. The gathering Abbies gives deep concern for those in charge behind the fence and Jason hopes to hide the population in the ark till it’s all over.

In his best black uniform, Jason gathers the population to explain the danger Wayward Pines and its residents face. However, he only succeeds in transferring his fear to a sceptical and questioning population (including my dear Arlene, with only fear on her mind, this week). CJ, after calming the residents fears and alarm, begins preparation in the ark, readying himself for another spell in the deep freeze. As with all things in Wayward Pines, it never runs to plan.

The pressure mounts on Jason as he has to select half the population. His plan to freeze everyone fails with only half the cryogenic tubes available. He approaches Dr Yedlin for assistance in the selection, espousing a desire that only the fittest and most compliant should survive. Dr Yedlin rounds on him, his patience with Jason’s fear and poor judgement boiling over as he identifies Kerry as his weakest link. Dr Yedlin reminds a furious Jason that Pilcher wouldn’t take her. “She’s defective.”

We flash back to Pilcher and his own selection processes and find his first choice for heir apparent hasn’t made it.  “Timing is everything, isn’t it?”

As time is running out before the Wayward Pines project is put into practice, he hastily selects another child. While this is the penultimate show, the shocker that revealed itself was immense. Kerry is Jason’s mother!

Fast forward to tonight’s episode and Jason and Kerry’s world is disintegrating. The image of their blood mixing and running through the streets of the model town, set to the lullaby tones of The End of the World, is prophetic. However, for the rest of the population, the Abbies drowning out the song with their screams as Margaret summons the troops, is more worrying.